By Choi He-suk
Ulleung Island in the East Sea will be established as a zero-carbon island where most energy requirements are met by renewable sources, according to a government plan released Wednesday.
As such, the government will draw up comprehensive plans to turn Ulleung Island into a “green island” that surpasses Denmark’s Samso Island in terms of renewable energy uses, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.
Located about 15 kilometers off the Danish coast, the Samso Island was designated for a renewable energy project.
According to the ministry, all of Samso Island’s electricity needs are met with renewable energy sources, while 70 percent of its heat requirements are generated from such sources.
The plans were revealed in an event held on the island attended by officials from central and regional governments, as well as those from the Korea Institute of Energy Research that will be in charge of establishing the plans.
The new plans will be drawn up on the basis of the results of a preliminary research conducted under the supervision of Ulleung Country and North Gyeongsang Province governments, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.
The ministry said the new project will review the basic plans to establish detailed execution plans to establish Ulleung Island as a “green island that combines green energy, green life and green tourism.”
Regarding Ulleung Island’s electricity grid, the ministry said that the island’s existing power generation facilities will be replaced with alternative sources such as solar, wind and fuel cell power generating facilities in stages.
In addition, the government will facilitate the introduction of “green homes” and energy-efficient devices on the island and draw up plans to develop and promote Ulleung Island and the nearby Dokdo islets as an eco-tourism destination.
The ministry added that it will also seek ways of linking up Ulleung Island development plans to other similar projects conducted by central and regional authorities.
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)